Disqualified Drivers Down - Williamson
Reported offences for driving while disqualified in the
first three months of
the new driver licensing regime
were down 18.4 percent on the same period last
year,
Transport Minister Maurice Williamson said today.
"These
figures show the tough new laws where disqualified drivers
lose their
cars for 28 days are working and getting these
serious traffic offenders off the
roads," said Mr
Williamson.
For the three months of May, June and July,
1998, 3270 offences for driving
while disqualified were
reported, while the figure for the same three
month
period this year fell to 2666.
"Some of these
people have had more than one car impounded. They can
clearly
afford to keep buying another car, or have
friends who keep lending them cars."
"Sooner or later, and
I accept some people learn more slowly than others,
these
people will learn that traffic laws apply to
everyone and if you keep offending,
you'll keep losing
your car."
Mr Williamson referred to research that showed
impounding vehicles did act as a
major
deterrent.
"Recent Californian research showed a 38
percent reduction in crashes involving
repeat offenders
as a result of a new vehicle impoundment regime. The study
also
shows a 34 percent drop in convictions for driving
while disqualified or being
unlicensed by offenders who
had their car impounded."
Police National Road Safety
Manager Neil Gyde said the new regime was working
and
there was clear evidence that serious and repeat offenders
were being
caught.
Mr Gyde said the new powers gave
traffic enforcement some much needed teeth.
"Every
criminal offence involves three things - skill, motive and
opportunity.
By enabling us to take an offender's vehicle
off them at the roadside, these new
penalties have an
immediate impact on the opportunity factor."
"The fact
that some tow truck firms are telling us that a number of
cars have
been seized from the same person is clear
evidence we are catching these
drivers, prosecuting them
and impounding their vehicle," said Mr Gyde.
Since the new
regime began on May 3, more than 3500 vehicles have
been
impounded, the vast majority of which have been for
driving while
disqualified.
ENDS